Our first night while we slept, an intruder (undoubtedly armed) came in to our ground floor unit and stole as we slept, from my bedside table, our handbags and gold wristwatch worth $10,000. Our passports, credit cards, drivers licenses, all our cash and more were missing when we awoke. All gone. We could easily have been attacked.
Arrived after dark, checked in and left belongings in our room. I carry as I have for 40 years, a mens’ clutch or hand bag. My wife and 13 year old son were tired and hungry after flying and traveling for 18 hours from Los Angeles. We did not unpack. We went for dinner to their restaurant 30 feet from our room’s door. I saw at least one security guard from the moment of my arrival until we later left the dinning room.
I took my bag and I wore a solid gold wrist watch with gold strap. We ate, played a little billiards, had drinks at the bar. The bar attendant would not charge the drinks to our room telling my wife she needed to put it on her credit card (as I imagine having just checked in we not yet in their system). She walked to our room door and tried to insert the key card, but had difficulty. A young man walked by who worked there offered to help her. She returned with her card and paid the bill. I went with my son to their computer room adjoining the reception area. The lighting was so bad that I gave up trying to find the keys after a couple of minutes. We went back to our room. It was about 10.00PM.
We had our tooth brushes in the carry-on (beach) bag my wife had carried and prepared for bed. I put my watch on the kitchenette counter, both bags were put on the tiny bedside table an arms length from where I would sleep.
I awoke in the morning not able to find my watch. The phone then rang. It was the manager who said we needed to come immediately to the front desk, "our passports had been found at a car rental place down the street". Obviously shocking to us, we dressed in a minute and astonishingly could not find either of our hand bags. All of our valuables were gone!
We ran to the desk and told them so, asking "how could our passports be at a car rental, and that our bags and my watch were gone". The manager Wayne and the front desk clerk were in disbelief that this had occurred. They offered to drive us to the car rental place where we would find out more. We were told us on the way that they’d been told that a bag was found that had an Ocean Manor towel card in it and passports belonging to us.
We had been ripped-off while asleep at Ocean Manor that was presumably guarded, from under our noses. Cash we’d brought - $1,800 plus my watch valued at almost $6,000, a camera, an iPod, documents, a cell phone, and more. Left broke, penniless and traumatized.
Ocean Manor refused to accept any responsibility or liability for the loss. They were in denial that it had even occurred to us. We were told we’d come there to make trouble. They thought we were dreaming this up, in spite of their own manager and front desk employee witnessing the retrieval of my wife’s almost empty bag a mile away at the car rental. We were extremely grateful we had retrieved our passports, credit cards and drivers licenses.
Ocean Manor’s manager had absolutely no compassion for us, Never did he or anyone ask if they could help us in any way, could do something to relieve the pain or to make our vacation more pleasant. They never asked us whether we needed help or had sorted out our inconveniences. They did give us some petty cash for $100, charged to our credit card, as would have been any hotel charge,. They add 7% extra to every charge that you put on a credit card. The next day when we had spent it all and were leaving hungry for dinner and depending on getting another $100 in the same manner, it was refused to us. This was not a loan we were asking for, I might add. It was an immediate charge to our Mastercard. It was refused. To use a credit card for a restaurant bill in Cabarete will cost you an additional 26% on top of the food cost. I repeat 26% extra!.
Ocean Manor is Two Star at best. It has no gym or other amenities. Not even an umbrella at the pool. The bathrooms are tiny, the basins and toilets are kinder-garden size. The rooms are dark. The safe in the closet is easily removable by a child. (not even screwed down). They employ thieves apparently, or people who tip them off.. Think about it………. Who knew we had money and that I wore such a watch and in which room we were in other than - the receptionist, the two guys who took our luggage to our room and who helped my wife with the key card, and the waiter and bar attendants. One other who is the entertainment organizer, befriended us at that bar.. How did they get into the room? The room is on ground floor had a sliding door to the patio that was apparently not locked. Why did we not use the room safe? It should not be necessary while you are in the room or asleep, we had just arrived and it is as insecure as lifting a shoe box out of the closet. I have a picture of my 13 year old son holding it in his arms. It is not bolted or even screwed down!